College of Nursing PhD Program Director Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award
Susan Frazier, PhD, RN, FAHA, associate professor and PhD program director at the College of Nursing, received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation award: Future of Nursing Scholars at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, Cohort 3 (2016-2019). This $150,000 award will support the tuition, stipend, living expenses and fees for two scholars who will begin their PhD programs in September 2016.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine identified a significant need for nurse scientists in our country’s medical research program and recommended doubling the number of nurse scientists with doctorates by 2020, says Thomas Kelly, PhD, associate dean for research at the College of Nursing. “Dr. Frazier has been actively working to address this gap. The resources provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation award will enable her expand the doctoral training program and provide enhanced research training for two new nurse scientists.”
Dr. Frazier will hand-select candidates who will bring diverse nursing perspectives and experiences to the field – an important value to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The students must complete the PhD in three years, attend annual leadership meetings and participate in multiple leadership webcasts. The students will work closely with a funded research mentor in the College of Nursing in addition to receiving mentorship from a scientist in another discipline at the University of Kentucky.
The College of Nursing will match an additional $50,000 per scholar – totaling $125,000 per student – in an effort to develop the next generation of PhD prepared nurse scholars and leaders who are committed to long-term careers that support discovery and develop science, strengthen and sustain efficient and optimal preparation of nurses and bring about transformational modifications in nursing, nursing science and health care.
“Dr. Frazier’s care for and dedication to the PhD students in our program ensures the nation’s health, and the College will strive to match her commitment in this endeavor through funding and support,” said Dr. Janie Heath, dean and Warwick Professor of Nursing.
Dr. Frazier earned her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD in nursing from the Ohio State University. Her research program focuses on cardiopulmonary responses to critical illness, in particular with patients requiring mechanical ventilation. She is a Fellow in the American Heart Association and serves on the editorial boards for the American Journal of Critical Care, the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing and Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Since its inception as a small community foundation, the foundation has shaped key efforts to improve the nation’s health and health care – from the development of the 911 emergency call system to the improvement of care at the end of life. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on six approaches to health: child and family well-being, health coverage, health leadership and workforce, health system improvement, healthy communities and healthy weight.
For more than 40 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working with others to build a national Culture of Health that will enable everyone in America to live longer, leather lives. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.
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